Swatow

Location: 309 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

Cost: $25 for 3 (with one split entree)

I've got a serious case of the sleepies as I type this 'cause I've just eaten at Swatow. General Tso wouldn't be proud...but it doesn't really matter because it's not the 1800s and I've only just had his namesake in chicken.

At $12.50, we assumed that the General Tso Chicken would be a large platter fit for two to share. Good thing I wasn't too hungry! I know my friend who shared the dish with me was just being polite and waited until I urged him to finish the rest.

We both agreed that the dried red chillies in the dish were hoooo-ooot!



A steamed rice cost an additional $1.60.

My other friend dined on the Assorted Meats with Vegetables on Rice for only $6.25!!! And his plate was heaped with assortment!



The restaurant is tiny and brightly lit! And there was a line-up after we sat down. Definitely a busy spot for lunch.



While the food is tasty, I still much prefer Spadina Garden and House of Gourmet where I know I can count on going home with more to eat later!



Still, everyone who passed by when I was trying to capture the exterior (and this is the second shot), craned their necks for a fleeting glance at the menu!

Jodhpore Club

Location:

33 Baldwin Street, Toronto

Cost: $23

Way back before we knew how good Spadina Garden really was, we dismissed it and the buffet at Indian Flavour because all we really wanted was some tandoori chicken and naan. Really. That's all. So, when we arrived at Jodhpore Club at Baldwin Street - because Jodhpore had been a tried, tested and true choice (note I use past tense in this context) - we thought we couldn't possibly be let down.



Jodhpore, in the middle of Baldwin Street, is one amongst an eclectic mix of restaurants nestled within a residential area - away from the hustle and bustle of University and Dundas, nearby. The last time we'd been was in the summer of '06 and we sat outside, and I remember the food being delicious.



On this particular evening, it wasn't busy...perhaps it was the rain, or not...

As I type this, I wonder why we didn't end up simply ordering tandoori chicken and naan. That was really all we wanted, right? Instead, we asked our waitress what SHE recommended. Well, she recommended the 'special'. Which was a tava (pan) sabzi (vegetable). So I asked whether it included ALL the vegetables, especially okra and eggplant, and was assured that it did, indeed. Very well. We then took two more steps back and ordered the Hyderbad 'roadside' spicy chicken curry and whole-wheat rotis stuffed with peas. When our dishes arrived, we both thought we'd ordered the wrong dish. What we had on our table was a very rationed portion of "vegetables" which was really only cauliflower, onions and maybe some green peppers.



Hmm. We plopped a spoonful onto a plate, and then further dug around the serving dish looking for the so-called okra and eggplant. Not only was there no eggplant, there was no okra. What we found was a tiny slice of something I can only call "oak", the "ra" must have still been on the tava, ready to be served to someone else who was stupid enough to ask what the "special" was.

We beckoned to our server and asked her what our dish was to which she replied, "tava subzi". That's when I pointed out the lack of 'subzi'. I showed her the okra and said we wanted something with more than one piece of okra and not this. Her response was very clear. She asked us to return the spooned out subzi from our plate BACK into the serving dish and whisked the dish away. Aghast, we both turned to the chicken.



The measly portion and poor cuts of bone-in chicken definitely deserved the name 'roadside' Hyderbad chicken! It was overly spicy, the chilli so hot, it overpowered the palate.

And don't get me started on the roti.



Burnt, dry and stuffed with frozen peas.

Yeah.

Sometimes it's better not to stray away from what your stomach really wants.

Panago Pizza

Location:

44 Gerrard Street, Unit E, Toronto

Cost: $32 (incl. tip) for 2 small pizzas

www.panago.com

Everyone has a favourite pizza place, right? And the first time we tried Panago Pizza we swore we wouldn't ever order anything else. Unlike Pizza Pizza, Pizza Hut, Mama's and even Pizzaiolo's pizza, Panago's is truly bursting with flavours and crisp, fresh toppings. I can't remember which pizza we ordered that first time, but I remember it being the. best. thing. ever. (Note: The Magic Oven at 6 Wellesley St West is the only other place competing for number one spot on our favourite list....review to follow soon).

Last night we ordered from Panago's again. Unable to decide how much pizza we wanted we opted for 2 smalls after learning that one small proffered six slices. We got the 'garden veggie' with extra jalapenos and the 'tropical chicken', again, with extra jalapenos. For dips, the chipotle cilantro sounded swell and the 3-chlili shaker seemed appropriate 'cause we like it hot.

45 minutes later our pizzas arrived.



I think part of the appeal is the packaging.



Admittedly, the 'small' really was quite small, but we ended up with enough left over for work the next day. And even though the pizza looks home-made (and we actually do make pizza that looks like this), maybe that's what makes it so great because it's not like extra-large, greasy, pepperoni-filled corner shop pizza.

The garden veggie was brimming with black olives, sauteed mushroms, roasted garlic, pineapple, green peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos and mozarella. We got the THICK multigrain crust for the veggie and it was quite good - not very flavourful as far as crusts go, but we really enjoyed the thick as opposed to the thin crust which we got on our other pizza.



The meaty one had a sweet and smoky "tropical" sauce, grilled chicken, pineapple, green peppers, caramelized onions, cheddar and mozarella with jalapenos to top it all off. The THIN multigrain crust is new at Panago's and didn't really do much for us. It wasn't terrible by any means, but next time I'd go with the thick for sure.



Not as good as the first time, but still very good (and great the next day!), but at $15 per small pizza, it's a tad bit too pricey. It's not something we'll be ordering all the time. Oh, and don't get the chipotle cilantro dipping sauce, as delicious as it sounds, it was quite revolting.

Spice Route

Location:

499 King Street West, Toronto

Cost: Summerlicious. $15 for lunch

It used to be an auto dealership. Then Touch lounge. Now, it's a massive Asian bistro/bar called Spice Route. Although there is neither spice nor route to any flavours here. And the service is one of the most pretentious I've ever seen.

Not to take away from how glamorous and exotic the place is, however. It's quite a retreat from your work day.

With its cavernous entryway, giant studded wooden door, encased fire towers and marble fountains, it's as if you've stepped into an episode of Survivor: Laos.



Inside, the vast expanse of open space creates an atmosphere not unlike a museum or Buddhist shrine.



The sleekness of the furniture throughout the space culminates at the bar, situated under four big screen tvs and illuminated by recessed lighting.



Green (albeit fake) grass trims the window ledge behind your (back-less) seat. High wooden fences on the patio shield away the common folk who linger, necks craning, on the sidewalk. Oranges are nestled within intimate cubby holes in the walls.



But, enough of the ambiance!

Our server, Sebastian, took a seat beside us and began to describe their regular menu mentioning that patrons usually order 5-7 items and share tapas-style. My lunch partner politely requested the Summerlicious menu (which I'd already mentioned to them upon making the reservation). His response was classic. A slight nod, grunt and an abrupt exit. Nothing was said about the Summerlicious menu.

But here it is. The appetizer selection was as follows:

Mushroom Noodle Soup
Efu Noodles, Thai Chili and Young Spinach
or
Citrus Salad
Spring Mix Greens, Orange, Asian Pear, Water Chestnuts and Honey Walnut Ginger Vinaigrette
or
Shanghai Eda Mame Salad
Pickled Cucumber and Rice Vinegar
or
Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Brandied Hoisin Sauce

My friend ordered the Citrus Salad. And I, the Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Our appetizers didn't take very long to arrive and were brought to the table by another gentleman.



Citrus Salad, which my friend seemed to enjoy.



I'm still amazed that they named it "Spiced" Chicken...I'm sorry, but to warrant the term '"spiced", a dish must have some spices in it. Not great, but not terrible, either.

For the mains, our options were:

Wok Steamed Mussels
Red Thai Curry and Kaffir Lime
or
Lemon Glazed Chicken
Crispy Wonton and Thai Citrus Sauce
or
Mandarin Sizzled Fried Rice
BBQ Roast Pork and Sweet Peas
or
Thai Vegetable Curry

My lunch partner opted for the veggie curry and I decided to try the lemon glazed chicken.



Apologies for the blurry photograph. The veggie curry sat well with my friend...I, on the other hand, was not impressed with my 'lemon glazed chicken' which actually was BATTERED and DEEP FRIED chicken with an accompanying lemon sauce that I had to dip my chicken into.



Why was I having to do all the work? First with the lettuce and now with the glazing. We couldn't figure out what the mystery vegetable beside my chicken was, either. Baby bok choy? Overall, not a great dish - which on the regular menu is $19!

For dessert we had two choices:

Chefs Selection of Exotic Sorbets
Fortune Cookie and Sesame Praline
or
Raspberry Chocolate Brownie
Caramelized Mandarins and Tangerine Cream

My friend chose the sorbet and I had to go for the brownie.


The desserts were definitely better than the rest of the meal. The sorbet flavours (we decided) were mango, raspberry and coconut? We weren't too sure about the white one.



The brownie with mandarin oranges paired together really well, with the ice-cream topping it all off - I didn't notice the raspberry flavour in the brownie at all however, or the tangerine in the ice-cream. Overall, it was fairly good although it came with a Pocky stick, which we both thought was weird.

After lunch, while we waited for our change, and having read so much about Spice Route's 'amazing' loos, I thought I'd take a few pictures of them to show you all.



The 'stalls' basically line the length of the hallway at the back of the restaurant; each massive wooden door leading to a separate washroom, with its own floor to ceiling window. The view from the toilet is an alley-way of grass, stone and the same tall water-fountains displayed outside. A strange looking sculpture - Protector of the Alley? - loomed down the way as well.



Weird.

Two things; a) the washrooms are clean, but I think that leads us to b) you are so afraid that someone is going to walk down the alley-way that you don't use the toilet at all. And they don't have any hooks for women to hang their purses!

Back at the table, Sebastian still hadn't returned with our receipt or change. That meant he had assumed all of it was a tip? Well! How...assuming!

He was nowhere to be seen either! We had to ask someone who asked someone else who told us he was coming. We finally saw him and he returned with our change and the receipt. Needless to say, our tip was lower than what he thought he deserved. What a pain!

2 Hours for lunch is a bit long for food which is prix fixe and probably even pre-prepared, don't you think? I'd suggest taking another route when picking a place for lunch. Spice Route definitely isn't worth all the fuss.

Thai Princess is fit for a Queen

Location:

387 King Street West, Toronto

Cost: $10-15 per person

www.thaiprincess.ca

Across from MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) on King street is a little gem of a restaurant with a giant green and pink sign. Thai Princess.

You can expect a bit of a wait if you get there between noon and 1pm. Sometimes doing take-out is a better option.

After our crazy long wait, we were blessed with the loverly window seat and started off with a couple of drinkies; a pina-colada and a mango something-or-other. Mmm.



They have a special lunch menu and a regular menu, but I don't really know the difference between the two...maybe a couple of bucks off here and there? It doesn't seem to matter to me anyhow; I always order the Thai Kha Nom Jeen (steamed rice noodles) which comes with chicken marinated in lemongrass and grilled, served over a bed of vermicelli ($9.95). I get the combo with the spring roll and minus the bean sprouts (I feel bean sprouts are filler). They can sometimes skimp out on the chicken and the salad if they're busy, so I'd suggest getting there earlier rather than later!



I find it refreshing and light for a lunch time meal and doesn't make me feel ill or sleepy afterwards, which is always a plus!

My lunch partners ordered a variety of different meals. Like, the cashew nut chicken ($9.50).



And Combo A ($6.95) ...



And the green curry chicken ($9.95)....yummy.



The service is always friendly and although it's slow to get your dishes, I feel it's worth the wait. A great place to come for lunch during the work-week.

Spadina Garden

Location:

114 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Cost: $50 for 2

One of our friends has been talking about this place for so long, claiming it to be his favourite chinese restaurant. Ever. And we had tried, on numerous occasions, to eat-in (and even do take-out from) there, with no luck.

So, it became the perfect dinner venue for us on the night we saw WALL-E at the AMC theatre at Yonge and Dundas. There was no question where we really wanted to eat, even after a walk down Elm St. with all the fancier places (like Oro, Thirty-Five, Adega - which I actually DO want to try sometime) toting their Summerlicious menus and vacant patios.

Spadina Garden doesn't have a patio, but I suspect if it did, it would be packed. it does however, have a very nicely decorated interior with very comfortable chairs.



Since we had less than an hour to eat, we looked around at what other people were enjoying and asked our host what he recommended on the menu. His suggestions mirrored our own for the most part, so we went with the dry chilli chicken, the chicken in ginger sauce, a vegetable noodle dish and later decided we also wanted shrimp fried rice instead of plain rice.

We were warned that it would all be too much but we were inclined and happy to finish the rest the next day.

Our vegetable noodles came out in no time. Colourful and crisp.



Then our chicken in ginger sauce arrived....which I thought looked like it may have been the dry chilli chicken.



But then the dry chilli chicken arrived...



The fact that all the dishes reached the table separately bugged us a little bit. I'd have preferred having everything arrive together, at once, so that we wouldn't have been eating noodles first, and then chicken in ginger sauce and then dry chilli chicken.

And how about the shrimp fried rice, you want to know. Well, we had to double check that they'd received our order. They had. And there it was...



With lots of shrimp dispersed within the rice.

But, Foodhogger, how did it all TAAAASTE???

Incredible! Very spicy (we asked for it), fresh and not greasy. It's very good chinese food...maybe a bit haka-ish.

Speaking of spicy, we also requested a SIDE of hot sauce and this is what arrived at our table! None of that Tabasco s***.



You might be interested to know that the left-overs were even BETTER the second (and third - yep, that's right) time around. Highly recommended. Thanks friend.

Blue Mountain Bistro

Location:

119 Spadina Avenue

Cost: $8-10 for lunch

I guess the 'jerk' in Jerk Chicken comes from the service at Blue Mountain Bistro.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me, but I used my friend's cell phone camera to capture these shots.



Our waitress was the lady on the right - as you can see she has her head in her hands...too many customers, perhaps?



No. Not really. Just one table of four at the far end and us. Still, it seemed we might have been a burden on her that day.

According to the menu, the Jerk Chicken Pita ($6.95 + tax) comes with fruit salad or salad. So I opted for the fruit salad. When our dishes arrived with a clatter on the table, our waitress announced that they didn't have fruits, so salad it was. (With a side of sliced canteloupe). The portions were quite hefty however.





And the chicken was quite spicy and flavourful and there was lots of it stuffed into the pita along with lettuce and tomatoes and some mystery sauce.

In my anticipation for the meal (read: hungry), I dropped my fork on the floor, only to receive an angry glare from our waitress when I asked for another one back at the counter. (She came by later to retrieve the fallen fork).

The final straw (for me) was when our oh-so-lovely waitress mixed up our bills and charged my friend $8.99 instead of $7.86 for his pita (the same thing I'd ordered). I pointed out the error in miscalculation but she defiantly claimed that it was $8.99..until she realized that was meant for for my other friend who'd ordered the Jerk Steak Sandwich (7.95 + tax) . I handed her a $20 for which she needed to go next door for change, during which the chef appeared. We expressed how much we enjoyed the sandwiches (they were tasty). Our waitress returned, apologizing for her mistake. I internally accepted it as an apology for the whole experience.

If it weren't for the terrible service and crazy-ass wait, BMB would actually be quite a nice place for a quick (and filling) lunch.

Madras Palace

Original Post: September 22, 2006

Location:

1249 Ellesmere Road, Scarborough

Cost:  great prices!

www.madraspalace.com



If you get there on a Friday or Saturday night and it's crowded, you may as well go home and order pizza. Your food will take sooooooooo long to arrive that not only will you have forgotten what you ordered but you'll wonder where you are because you are now 99 years old and have Alzheimer's.

We made the unfortunate mistake of reserving a few tables to accommodate our large group of coworkers, not realizing that that would further jeopardize our chances of receiving our meals in a timely fashion!

Still, our appetizers were tasty and filling...



The chicken pakoras were savory but we had to be careful not to over-fill on them because the rest of the food took so long to arrive.

I was told that certain items I wanted on the menu were in fact 'not available' that night....so I finally ordered a dish of Kerala fish fry and rice.



The Fish Fry...Kerala ishtyle is tasty and almost as good as Mom's home-cookin'!

It's late by the time everyone has finished eating, but a round of coffees is ordered to which an apologetic server replies "Sorry we cannot accomodate such a large group."

I'm perplexed....this IS a restaurant, right?

When our giant bill arrives, it creates an uproar since items which were not ordered have been charged to us anyway.  However, everything worked out in the end thanks to the good attitude and service and we all leave content and loaded with left-overs.

Madras Palace is perhaps the only restaurant in Scarborough that serves traditional Kerala cooking that really does taste like back home. So, while the food is delicious, if you dare go on a busy weeknight or weekend, don't expect everything on the menu to be available or your food to get to your table on time. 

I suggest going on a weekday for lunch...chances are you'll be quite satisfied (I've been back since for lunch, and the service was great and everything we wanted was available). 

 

 

Zoe's Bakery Cafe

Location:

548 King Street West, Toronto

Cost: $8.50 average

www.zoesbakerycafe.ca

A great girls get-together should revolve around (I think) good food and drink....if those two components aren't there, it's almost as if one of your girlfriends is washing her hair.

Our plan was to meet at Zoe's for lunch and despite the TTC strike everyone was able to make it out (mostly thanks to my considerate friend and her fancy new wheels).

Zoe's is on King street near Brant; it's hard to miss the giant black signage on the front and side of the cafe.



During the summer climate bright red umbrellas line the sidewalk in front of the cafe, under which enthusiastic patrons munch on enormous gourmet sandwiches and hearty salads.



Being slightly lower than ground level, the interior of Zoe's is dimly lit although there is enough light streaming in through the many windows to make you feel warm and cosy. For a quick bite during the week there are round tables and high chairs in the front room and for longer, leisurely lunches there is additional seating to the right of the counter. Further down the hallway is a giant conference room (not pictured) for lunch meetings as well.



If you're not one to break out in goosebumps at the slight bite of something cold, you'll enjoy biting into the sandwiches at Zoe's. I, for one, prefer my sandwiches toasted. I like toasty bread slices, melting cheese, warm grilled chicken----you get my drift.

Alas, I failed to reveal this to our server when we placed out order, so what I ended up with was a cold Cajun chicken sandwich.

CAJUN CHICKEN sandwich
house-made mango chutney, pea sprouts, citrus aioli & mixed greens on 10-grain



Don't get me wrong, it was quite tasty. The mango chutney was an especially great addition to the sandwich. If only it were hot. But, why didn't you just ask to get it toasted, you ask? Great question! Thanks for asking. I think my problem wasn't just the bread not being toasted...everything was cold. It would have had to have been microwaved (mmm....microwaved bread....) and that didn't seem much more appealing. At least we had warm chicken quesadillas!

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
filled with Cajun chicken, julienne bell peppers, red onions & cheddar



This was a hit with all of us. I think mainly because it was served hot and the cheddar had melted into a gooey mass over the chicken, pepper and onions.

AVOCADO sandwich
tomatoes, shaved granny smith apples, pesto aioli & mixed greens on 10-grain



There were no complaints from my friend who ordered this although I wouldn't be likely to order it next time as it's very close to what I made myself for lunch yesterday (but toasted, thank you very much).

CHICKEN WRAP
Cajun chicken, roasted peppers, cheddar, pesto aioli, shaved fresh apple & mixed greens



I preferred this over the cuban chicken sandwich...somehow wraps are easier to eat cold than giant sandwiches. Or maybe that's just me?

GRILLED PORTABELLO MUSHROOM sandwich
julienne roasted peppers, herbed chèvre, tomato pesto & mixed greens on 10-grain



My vegetarian friend seemed to enjoy this immensely....and 'roasted' makes me think it was warmer than my sandwich...



Zoe's has Illy coffees, a variety of teas and fresh juices (Good ol' OJ pictured here...in a bottle....which turned out to be great, actually).

For a Saturday, I expected there to be more of a lunch crowd, however the few patrons who trickled in for a sit down lunch had fully emptied out by 3pm. Our server also proved to be quite absent-minded leaving me to trek back and forth with requests for cutlery, water and finally, after she'd disappeared altogether, the bill.

Jules Bistro & Cafe

Location:

147 Spadina Avenue, Toronto

Cost: $20 for a main



[Interior: Jules]

Hi. Do you have a take-out menu?

Sure, here you go.

Thanks.

...

..

Hi there...we'll get the grilled salmon with ratatouille, salad and fries.

Will you have it for here or to go?

We'd like to take it to go, but we may eat outside on your patio.

No sorry, we don't allow that. You can eat in or take it to go but not take it to go and sit in.

Oh. So we can eat here and then pack it to go?

No.

Uh. [pause, look at each other....] Okaaaay, we'll change our order from take out to eat in then.

No, it's too late, the prices are different if you want to do that and I've already put the order in.

{But, we haven't even paid yet!}

Fine. We'll just take it to go.

..

.



...

..

.

[At the park]



Mmm.....not too bad....

Yeah. Too expensive for what it is, though...fries, salad, the smallest portion of ratatouille and that chef just fried the salmon in butter, I saw him.

Oh yeah?  Tasty fries...although...they're kind of like McDonald's fries hahaha!

Yeah! I know! But Mcdonald's fries are like, two bucks!

Yeah....mm...so this is ratatouille? I'm not impressed...definitely doesn't look like in the movie!

I know. And the salad is drenched through...way too much dressing...why do they always do that?

I don't know...we should get it on the side, next time.

Nah...I don't think I'll ever go back there.

Me either.

***

Such was our experience at Jules, the fancy-schmancy place on on Spadina (north of Richmond and RIGHT BESIDE FUSARO'S!).

Two completely different eateries.

Fusaro's Kitchen always has a lunch line-up that goes out the door and practically down the street, has consistently friendly service and delicious (albeit high fat) foods...whereas Jules rarely has more than two tables filled, has terribly rude (and potentially racist) service and mediocre dishes! 

The BEST thing on their take-out menu was the dish we ordered for $20...and that's not saying much at all!  And they don't have such an impressive wine selection either!

Not to forget one price for eating in and another for eating out!  Seriously, do they even want customers?

BUT, to each his own as they say.  If you feel like eating pretentious French cuisine in a highly pompous environment, by all means, Jules is your venue.  Knock yourself out!  You'll need to before seeing your bill!

 

Miss Cora's Kitchen

Location:

69 Kensington Ave., Toronto

Cost: $5 or less for a light lunch/snack

www.misscoraskitchen.com

I do not like Jumbo Empanada (as you may have noticed if you read the Jumbo Hairpanada entry) however, I do LOVE LOVE LOVE Miss Cora's Kitchen!

This love story began when lunch at Jumbo Empanada went "hair"wire (yes, that's right, I went there) and we left disappointed and dissatisfied.

We passed by Miss Cora's Kitchen on the way back to work and the tiniest of desserts sitting in the window beckoned me in. Actually it was the "pesto chicken pizza" scribbled on the blackboard inside that really called out to my grumbling stomach.



So we decided to pop into the 'kitchen'. It really DOES look like a kitchen; a very small but clean, organized and great smelling one!



Fresh flowers, cookie jars, thick wooden butcher-slab counters, a giant wall clock. Yup, looks like the kind of kitchen you wish your Aunt had. Or you had, for that matter.



In the back, a brick wall lends a nice backdrop for the garnishing, icing, kneading and what have you that goes into creating these fabulous treats that Miss Cora herself serves you. Yes, Cora Devries takes your order and brings your dishes hot to your seat (one of three stools along a side table that runs against the window).

Our request for hot sauce results in THREE bottles of the red stuff, but it turns out the square of pesto chicken pizza was so delicious, it didn't even NEED it!



And the little pear/spice muffin we had was light and spongey with a slight hint of spice and pear...it was so yummy.



Very small though, as you can see here:



There's nothing better than being indoors on a rainy day, except maybe being indoors and being cooked for on a rainy day.



Miss Cora's Kitchen = a lovely place. I highly recommend paying the wonderful Miss Cora a visit.

Jumbo Hairpanada

Location:

245 Augusta Ave., Toronto

Cost: under $15 for two empanadas, a drink and a pastry.



What is that hairy toy you smack around to get the candy out? Piñata! That's right!

But I digress.

Perhaps Jumbo Empanada should be renamed Jumbo Hairpanada.

We started with lunch at Jumbo Empanada and ordered the chicken and veggie empanadas and an alfajor. We wanted the chilean salad too, but Irene (owner) was busy and she said she was low on staff that day. Disappointment numero uno.



What was numero two-o? Yes, yes, numero dos? Discovering a hair baked into the alfajor. Irene was "good" enough to exchange it.



The replaced alfajor. Made out of condensed milk and biscuits/pastry (correct me if I am wrong).

The empanadas were tasty as was the salsa (although not hot enough for my taste - we asked for extra hot sauce and were told that the salsa was it).



Sorry foodies, this salsa isn't that good. Wait till you read about the salsa at Eggs n' Things in Oahu, Hawaii....now, THAT'S salsa!



The VEGGIE Jumbo Empanada...pretty JUMBO, wouldn't you say?



The inside of the VEGGIE Jumbo Empanada.



The CHICKEN Jumbo Empanada.



The inside of the CHICKEN Jumbo Empanada.

Then I discovered another hair baked into my chicken empanada crust. Yum.



Disappoinment numero tres.

That was the end of that.

That's TWO hairs.

I wasn't aware hair was an ingredient!



On the way back to work, we passed by Miss Cora's Kitchen and saw the desserts in the window and the pesto chicken pizza scribbled on the blackboard inside and since I was still hungry, we went in......let's just say it was so good that I have to save the FULL review for next time!

Le Gourmand Grocer Cafe

Address: Two locations:
152 Spadina Ave., Toronto
20 Bloor St. East Unit R1-2, Toronto
Cost: $3+

www.legourmand.com

As I sit here writing this, I can hear thunder rolling in the distance and can feel a cool breeze on my skin. Perfect weather for some tea and cake, I think to myself. Although, anytime is 'perfect time' for tea and cake for me. Which is why, almost every week for the last two years, I've ended up at Le Gourmand Grocer Caf? sometime after 3 pm for my tea (and by tea, I mostly mean cake) break.



It must be the banana bread pudding which always brings me back, either for it's generous proportions or combination of flavours. One thing is certain, it's definitely best eaten fresh as I've learned after receiving the slightly hardened corner slices mid-afternoon. Still, when it's good, it's delicious; the bread soft with mashed banana and a crust thick with chocolate chips and icing sugar.

photograph credit: Andrew Lam

It's a tie for 'second place with the mini nocci cookie and the chocolate 'bomb'. While the nocci may be small, it's a crumbly mouthful of glorious chocolate, suitable for one.

The chocolate 'bomb', on the other hand, is suitable for two. Covered in a dusting of icing sugar, it appears robust on the outside but is in fact a delicate explosion of dark chocolate mousse on the inside. Still, it leaves you wanting something more. It needs an extra punch of something - Cardamom? Mint? Raspberry? Orange? Hazelnut? Chilli? Something.

Next on my list is most definitely the chocolate chip walnut cookie. It's quite simply, the best cookie in the world. Yes, that's what I said. After all this, there's still much to be had at Le Gourmand. The croissants are good although not great. The raisin croissant is decent; flaky but a little on the eggy side for taste.

The blueberry scone is delicious, but ask to have it warmed and buttered to really make it worthwhile.

photograph credit: Andrew Lam

The lemon poppy seed muffin is not terrible, but perhaps better when fresh out of the oven in the morning. I must say, it was a nice compliment to the "Taylors of Harrogate Lemon & Orange Tea"; a wonderfully invigorating tea.

I was unlucky with my chocolate raspberry tart I ordered one afternoon, which melted by the time I got home (it was a really hot day), but I'm glad to say it still tasted good. Although I am a fan of the occasional Turkish Delight of the rosewater kind, the mastic Turkish Delight was not to my taste. I found the flavour to be sickeningly sweet with an overwhelming aroma that wouldn't go away afterwards. During the summer season, they serve a selection of gelatos which, according to owner, Milton Nu?es, is brought in from La Paloma Gelateria & Caf? in Toronto. However, I have to say apart from the hazelnut chocolate, the gelatos are quite disappointing. The raspberry flavoured gelato tasted like a "maybe it's Maybelline's", while the mango had a very tart after-taste.

photograph credit: Andrew Lam

If you have time, you can sit in a cane chair under the high-ceiling with fans circulating lazily above you while you sip your tea and gaze up at the giant wall of goodies on one side of the cafe. They have a wide selection of chocolate bars, teas & coffees (Illy, Dean & Deluca); olive oils, pastas, sauces, vinegars and other products, which can be made into gift baskets if you so desired.

Le Gourmand's prices are a little on the high side, but the atmosphere is nice and the service is pleasing when you get an experienced staff member. The separate queues for ordering food versus drinks can be confusing if you've never been there before but because everyone is so friendly you'll find you aren't annoyed when you leave with your brown bag full of goodies.

Read my BlogTO review here.